The accident that was just waiting to happen with lawless dirt bike groups that drive around Manhattan has captured the city's attention and some lawmakers want gas stations to desist from fueling these gangs. A local news station has reported that the 110th Street gas station on FDB/8th Avenue has stopped providing the gas needed for these vehicles which would prevent them from riding around long distances.
From what we understand, a majority of the bikes come in from outer Manhattan so need to fuel up quite often. If anyone in the neighborhood sees a gas station providing fuel to any dirt bike or ATV group, they should report the incident to the police and make sure that the activity no longer persist in the future. Read more on NY1:
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That should be "incident" not "accident"
ReplyDeleteThe actions of the gas station is a violation of the bikers civil rights.
ReplyDeleteI would go with "carnage" not "accident", I am amazed more not more people hurt. Making it difficult to fuel up is a great idea. Sometimes stopping bad behavior simply means making it difficult.
ReplyDeleteI was talking about this very issue (as I have in the past) with some neighbors, and it's crazy to me that such a common refrain is, "They need someplace safe to ride, and then they won't ride on our streets." Really?!
ReplyDeleteHow about they don't ride on our streets because it's illegal? How about acting like decent human beings, just because it's what people are supposed to do (especially in a dense urban setting)? "It's not my fault. I need a place to ride or else I have no choice but to act like this."
Yeah. Right.
The point also not discussed is that the bikers are also from placed like Brooklyn or New Rochelle. They just want to ride a neighborhood they don't even belong to. Why should Manhattan support this for non residents?
ReplyDeletePutting the onus on gas station owners isn't fair and is an ugly incident waiting to happen. I also agree with an earlier poster that we're talking about a violation of the bikers' civil rights. You can't temper lawlessness by winking at the law.
ReplyDeleteReceiving gas to fuel illegal activity might be a grey area in civil rights. The courts would probably have to debate that one.
ReplyDeleteAnyone can walk up to a gas station and fill up a gas container and then walk anywhere they please with the gas.
ReplyDeleteOne way to resolve this situation may be:
-make a law stating: in NYC, only vehicles with license plates can get gas from a gas station, and the gas must go directly into the vehicle's tank.
-Sell new gas cans in NYC with numbers on them. To fill up a gas can a person needs to walk into the gas station, show the gas can and gas can number to the attendant along with a license. The gas can number and the license number gets recorded.
My observation is that the current recreational use of bicycles is far more dangerous and alarming than dirtbikes in NYC.
If a group of motorcyclists show up to get gas, how is the gas station attendant supposed to know if they are breaking laws out on the road? And why should it be the gas station attendant's responsibility to make that decision and possibly deny them gas? Public accommodation laws obligate the gas station to provide services on an equal basis -- without discrimination.
ReplyDeleteThere are not that many gas stations in Manhattan -- so why doesn't law enforcement place an officer at each station and see how their plan works out? Let's see how easy of a time a police officer has of denying a motorcyclist from getting gas if the officer has not likewise witnessed that same motorcyclist break any laws.
I do not support these idiots that keep terrorizing our neighborhoods and putting us in harm's way, but I also do not have any patience for how poorly the city, the Mayor and law enforcement are handling this. I'm sure we would have a quick and effective response if these motorcyclists suddenly gained an interest in the Upper East Side -- right around the time that the nanny picks up the kids from school.
It's illegal to drive a dirt bike or ATV on the road. Just by riding up to the gas station they are breaking the law
ReplyDeleteLet's remember that the video of the the chaos was 99% street-legal motorcycles. I think I saw one ATV, and don't recall seeing any dirt bikes.
ReplyDeleteMost of the illegal activity on the boulevard involves dirt bikes and ATV. This incident just brought to light all of the lawlessness that has been happening with a lot of these mostly unregistered vehicles. The police have finally been making hundreds of arrests in the neighborhood for 2013. As Harlem is changing, the No Snitch culture is also disappearing and quality of life issues are finally being addressed.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the gas stations should also check that driver's licenses have not expired, require breathalyzers, confirm that turn signals are working, check for outstanding warrants, confirm that the car's registration is up-to-date and verify proof of auto liability insurance -- all before allowing a patron to get gas. We can then create a lucrative black market for gas.
ReplyDeleteI hope you're right. But I'm not aware of any arrests or any noticeable decrease in the frequency of these events. If the police have in fact been conducting any enforcement and making arrests, then they should probably fire their PR agency.
ReplyDeleteIt's not practical to ask Gas Station attendants to police ATVs and Dirt Bikes.
ReplyDeleteAt least if there was a law banning sale of Gasoline to ATV and Dirk Bike riders while in urban areas all of this would be avoided
Here's the article on the police arrests this year. Mainly by citizens reporting bike activity and especially where they are stored.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20131003/central-harlem/harlem-police-precinct-cracks-down-on-illegal-motorcycles